Innovation & the fundamentals of digital transformation workshop

Day 1: 0930 – 1300 Tues 7 June

Day 2: 0930 – 1300 Tues 14 June

Conveying the fundamentals of innovation and digital transformation.

This Fundamentals of Digital Transformation workshop series will outline a straightforward and practical model for transformation, and you will hear how innovation and transformative thinking has helped a broad range of companies to develop new products, improve efficiencies, and increase market share.

These workshops provide an introduction to the Digital Surge Programme and are open to all small businesses across Northern Ireland. You must attend these workshops to be considered for more intensive free support, including a digital action plan and specialist one-to-one mentoring.

These interactive workshops include proven, approachable, yet simple innovation techniques that can be taken away and used to address business, operational and economic challenges faced by SMEs from all sectors.

The workshops are relaxed, engaging, and inspiring, and are designed for SMEs who want (or need) to think differently as they transform their business in the face of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Workshop 1 Setting the Transformation Agenda – 7 June

• The need for transformation and innovation:

– Why do we find it difficult to change?

– The critical role of ambition when looking at transformation

– What makes a transformational leader?

• Creating a culture that welcomes change
• How to generate novel but useful ideas.

Workshop 2 Delivering Digital Transformation – 14 June

• The benefits of taking a structured approach to change
• The Transformation Journey
• Dealing with risks and other barriers to transformation
• Using the bigger brain, looking at diverse thinking and collaboration
• Introducing the transformative technologies available on The Digital Surge Programme:

– Smart technologies/environments and the Internet of Things

– Process automation via robotics/cobotics

– Big data & analytics

– Immersive technologies (AR/VR/MR/Haptics)

– Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

– Distributed ledger systems/blockchain.

Why attend:

• Get an understanding of the core aspects of digital transformation
• Learn techniques to inform and clarify your transformation ambitions
• Ensure these ambitions are aligned to and support your broader organisational aspirations
• Learn how organisations across different sectors have harnessed these transformative technologies to drive tangible business benefits
• Attendees will have the option to apply to the Digital Surge Programme which builds on the foundation provided by these workshops through one-to-one mentoring, creation of an Innovation Roadmap, advanced technology masterclasses and the development of a Digital Acceleration Plan.

Delivered by:

Charlie Tuxworth, Celsio. Charlie is an experienced business leader with expertise in Innovation, Transformation, and Enterprise Software. In 2013, Charlie took on the innovation brief in a UK Financial Services plc, where he designed and implemented an enterprise digital transformation programme to drive internal and external innovation.

As a member of the National Standards Authority of Ireland, Charlie co-wrote the introduction to ISO56002 on behalf of UNIDO/ISO and is a member of the global taskforce creating ISO56001 – which will become the de-facto certifiable standard for Innovation Management. Charlie is the founder of Innovate Island, an all-Ireland not-for-profit collaborative network of innovation practitioners, students, and advocates.

Having recently defined the first comprehensive Innovation Skills competency matrix; Charlie and the Celsio team deliver innovation programmes into the public & private sectors using their Innovation Management System software platform, and regularly run innovation workshops on behalf of universities and UK government programmes.

This project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme. It is also part funded by the 11 councils in Northern Ireland.

(Dates subject to change. At time of scheduling Covid restrictions mean this will be an online event).